Disposable can opener



June 20, 1961 KAZUQ TANUMA 2,988,813

DISPOSABLE CAN OPENER Filed Oct. 27, 1959 Fi gwjw United States Patent 2,988,813 DISPOSABLE CAN OPENER Kazuo Tanuma, 92 Komagome-Higashilcata-machi, Bnnkyo-ku, Tokyo-to, Japan Filed Oct. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 849,075 Claims priority, application Japan June 5, 1959 2 Claims. (CI. 30-22) The present invention relates to container opening devices, and more particularly to improvements is can opening tools for opening any can container.

It is an object of this invention to provide a can opening tool which can be simply attached for storage until use, to a can and simply detached therefrom for use, yet cannot be accidently dislodged from its attached condition by movements and impacts occurring during such handling as transportation.

The above object and other objects of the present invention have been achieved by a can opening tool where in a snap-on holding piece has been formed by providing a cut-out serration in the clamping portion of U-shaped cross section formed by bending the root side of the cutting blade.

In the application of this invention, a pimple-like protuberance may be formed by press-work or by welding on the inner side of the aforesaid snap-on holding piece formed by providing the aforesaid cut-out serration.

The details of the invention will be more clearly apparent by reference to the following detailed description of a representative embodiment of the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view, from a different direction, of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the embodiment 'ice cavity 7 is formed outward by press-work on one end of the body plate as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tool may be removed conveniently by inserting a thin, rigid object such as a coin in the said concavity and prying the body plate off.

The embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be improved as shown in FIG. 5, in which the numerical designations used for the respective parts are the same as those in the of FIG. 1 in its attached condition on the peripheral rim of a can cap;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view, partly in section with a part cut away, of the plane III-III in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows an improved form of the embodiment of FIG. 1 and is a view corresponding to FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of another embodiment of this invention in its attached condition on the peripheral rim of a can cap;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 6.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the can opening tool is formed out of a single piece of metal sheet so as to comprise a body plate 5, a cutting blade 1, and a clamping part 2 of U-shaped cross section, which connects the said plate 5 and blade 1. An elastic, snapon holding piece 3 is formed by providing a cut out serration 4 in the said clamping part 2. A catching jaw 6 for coordinated action with the blade 1, during the can opening operation, is formed on body plate 5.

To attach the can opening tool of FIGS. 1 and 2 to the cap of a can container, the clamping part 2 of the tool is fitted and pressed onto the protruding rim 11 of the cap '10 of the can 9 as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Once the can opening tool is thus securely attached, it is held firmly to the can by the elastic holding piece 3, and cannot be dislodged accidently by movements and impact occurring during such handling as transportation.

By providing a pimple-like protuberance 12, as indicated by the broken line in FIG. 1, on the inner surface of the holding piece 3, the above-described fitting and holding action can be made especially effective.

The can opening tool can be removed easily from its attached position on the can by prying off the body plate 5 by means of the .tip of a knife. However, if a conpreceding illustrations. Said improvement comprises the forming of a protrusive convexity 8, protruding inwardly as shown, by a method such as presswork in the end portion of body plate 5 opposite from the end having the catching jaw 6 and the forming of the jaw 6 in such a manner that the can opening tool in its attached state is held securely, principally by the elastic forces of the body plate 5 and holding piece 3 applied at the three principal parts of contact, namely, the convexity 8, jaw 6, and pimple-like protuberance 12, with convexity 8 and the tip of jaw 6 providing locking means against upward dislodgement by their catching under the lower side of bead '11. For attaining the above object, for example, the jaw 6 may be somewhat bent or pressed inward.

Furthermore, this invention may be embodied as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in which the numerical designation used for the respective parts are the same as those in the preceding embodiments. The attaching and detaching manners of this embodiment are entirely same as those of the preceding illustrations, but said embodiment has no elastic, snap-on holding piece 3 such as shown in FIG. 1. However, the tool illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 can also be eifectively used in practice.

It is, of course, to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the example embodiments described herein, and that many modifications can be made arbitrarily thereto without departing from the nature and spirit of the invention as expressed in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A disposable can opening tool comprising a blade portion and a body plate, a U-shaped part one arm of which is an extension of said body plate joining said blade portion and said body plate to hold said blade part substantially at right angles to said body plate in a plane normal to the arms of said U-shaped part, said U-shaped part being interrupted to form a U-shaped holding piece attached to said body plate and free of said blade portion to embrace and contact the can rim, the width of the U of said holding piece being less than the width of said U-shaped part, said body portion being curved concave to the side on which said blade portion lies and of a curvature greater than the curvature of the can so that said holding piece may be brought into engagement by pressing and deforming said body plate against the can and moving the tool downwardly, and the tool will be retained by the holding piece engaging the can rim holding said body plate.

2. A disposable can opening tool comprising a body plate adapted to fit and be held snugly, until use, to a side wall of a can container, at cutting blade, a U-shaped fold bent from one edge of said body plate to connect said blade to extend perpendicularly from said plate, a snap-on holding piece formed in the U-shaped fold by the cutting of a cut-out serration therein, a protrusion formed on said body plate, and an outwardly concave portion formed on said body plate at one end in such a manner that a conveniently available object such as a coin can be inserted under said concave portion for prying the tool ofi.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 547,866 Germany Apr. 7, 1932 600,591 Great Britain Apr. 13, 1948 617,964 Germany Aug. 29, 1935 

